MNS workers target Gujarati-owned shops after Raj Thackeray's 'Modi-Mukt Bharat' call

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers on Sunday night targeted Gujarati-owned shops in Vasai, a suburb of Mumbai, and destroyed their signboards. The incidents took place soon after MNS chief Raj Thackeray gave a call for "Modi-Mukt Bharat" by 2019 while addressing his party workers at Mumbai's Shivaji Park. The MNS chief was speaking on the occasion of Gudi Padva, the Marathi New Year.

Several Gujarati dhabas (highway eating joints) also faced the wrath of MNS workers along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway late on Sunday night.

#WATCH MNS workers vandalised Gujarati signboards at shops in Vasai yesterday after Raj Thackeray in his speech last night said 'Vasai feels like Gujarat these days.' pic.twitter.com/XiUGiWV2DT — ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2018

It is not the first time that MNS has attacked Gujarati-owned properties in Maharashtra. In July 2017, too, the party had launched violent protests against a jewellery shop in Dadar and a hotel in Mahim in Mumbai and formed them to pull down their signboards in Gujarati

Mumabi Assistant Commissioner Sunil Deshmukh had told PTI that MNS workers had "gathered outside PN Gadgil Jewellers in Dadar around 12.30 pm, where the jewellery shop management had put up the signboard in Gujarati.” The shop owners pulled down signboard following the protests.

Similarly, the MNS workers also forced Hotel Shoba in Mahim to take down the board in Gujarati.